Page 5 of The Grinder

Hell, his mouth had gone dry.

“Um,” she finally said, “I’m really not sure if I can get there tomorrow night.”

Well, at least it wasn’t a flat-out no. He could work with that.

Toning down his smile by a few watts, he leaned his arms on the counter separating them. “Well, how about this? I’ll leave the tickets at will-call, and if you can come, you can pick them up there. Then maybe we can go out for a drink afterward.”

Her pale-blue eyes widened and she didn’t answer right away. Shit, maybe he should’ve waited to ask her out for that drink. But he wasn’t known for keeping his mouth shut, on or off the ice.

“A bunch of us usually go out after the game.”

“So… it’d be a group thing?”

He’d make it whatever she wanted. “Yeah, a group.”

Her teeth sank into her bottom lip and he had to swallow a groan.

“I’d really hate to say yes and then not show up. The tickets will go to waste. I should really just—”

“The tickets won’t go to waste,” he assured her, knowing she’d been about to turn him down. “We never sell out. I’ll leave two. Bring a friend.”

Now her tongue came out to lick at her lips, and it was all he could do not to reach out and let his finger run over that plump bottom lip.

“Well, my sister loves sports.”

There were more where she came from? Someone on the team was going to owe him big time. “Bring her along. The more, the merrier.” Then his smile toned down even more. “Don’t say no. I’ll leave the tickets at the will-call window, and I’ll give the guard your name so you and your sister can meet me downstairs after the game. I’ll give you my number and you can text me for directions.”

It took a second but finally she smiled. “Okay. I’ll see if my sister can go.”

Their gazes held for a few more seconds and, for the first time in his life, Riley found himself without a single thing to say.

If she hadn’t looked down at the bill she still held in her hands, he wasn’t sure how long they would’ve stood there, staring into each other’s eyes. And he wouldn’t have minded.

Then she sighed. “And I hate to say this but I think I’m going to have to get back to you about your bill. Our system is messed up and I can’t get online at the moment.”

“No problem.” Just meant he’d have an excuse to talk to her again if he didn’t see her tomorrow night. Grabbing a piece of paper and a pen from the counter, he wrote his name and number and slid it across the counter.

She took it, their fingertips brushing as the paper exchanged hands.

He didn’t know how long they would’ve stood there, barely touching, him grinning like an idiot and her looking a little shell-shocked, if the door hadn’t opened.

“Dude, you ready, yes? I need—oh, hello.”

Controlling the urge to roll his eyes, Riley shook his head instead and turned to see Jake grinning at Aly.

The Czech player had a reputation as a manwhore, and with his looks it was easy to see why. Tall, blond and ripped, the guy smiled and women threw their panties at him.

Apparently, Aly wasn’t immune. Her eyes widened as she stared at the Redtails’ best defenseman.

Which made Riley want to kick the ever-loving shit out of Jake if the kid so much as hinted at making a move on her. Okay, Jake wasn’t exactly a kid at twenty-three, but Riley was twenty-eight and had a few pounds on him, which Riley would use to kick Jake’s ass if he didn’t turn down that smile.

Luckily for Jake, Aly barely glanced at him and said “Hello” before staring at Riley again.

Take that, kid.

“I need a few seconds yet.”

Sliding a glance over his shoulder, Riley saw Jake’s mouth twist into a shit-eating grin. Oh, he would so make the kid pay for that at practice tomorrow.

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